SENSE INSIDER Personal Finance, Smart Investing, Passive Income and Side Hustle & Budgeting Tips
You’re 13, you want your own money, and every job application form seems to assume you’re already 16. Sound familiar?
Here’s the good news: you don’t need a work permit, a resume, or a formal interview to start earning at 13. You just need to know where to look. While federal law in the United States keeps most 13 year olds out of traditional employers like restaurants and retail stores, there’s a whole world of informal, flexible, and genuinely profitable work that’s completely open to you right now.
This guide walks through exactly what’s legal, how to get started, and 25 real jobs for 13 year olds that pay well, whether you live in the USA, UK, Canada, or Australia. By the end, you’ll have a shortlist of ideas you can actually act on this weekend.
Can You Get a Job at 13? What the Law Actually Says
Yes, you can get a job at 13, but the type of work you’re allowed to do is limited by law. The rules exist to protect young workers, not to stop you from earning money. Once you understand where the lines are, it’s easy to find opportunities that fit inside them.
Jobs for 13 Year Olds in the USA
In the United States, the Fair Labor Standards Act sets 14 as the general minimum age for regular employment at places like grocery stores, restaurants, and offices. At 13, your options fall into a smaller but still solid list of categories: casual work such as babysitting and yard care, newspaper delivery, performing or acting, working on a farm with parental consent, and helping out in a business your parent or guardian owns. These categories aren’t regulated the same way traditional jobs are, which is exactly why they’re the backbone of most employment for 13 year olds.
State rules can add extra restrictions on top of federal law, so it’s worth a quick check with your state labor department if you’re planning something beyond babysitting or lawn work. When state and federal rules disagree, the stricter one applies. For the full breakdown of what’s allowed by age, the U.S. Department of Labor’s youth employment rules are the most reliable source to check before you get started.
Jobs for 13 Year Olds in the UK
In the UK, the general minimum working age is 13, though local council byelaws can raise that slightly depending on where you live. Even at 13, hours are tightly limited: no work during school hours, a cap on hours per week during term time, and rules around how early or late you can work. Common legal options include newspaper delivery, babysitting, and light work for a family business, along with a work permit in many areas.
Employment for 13 Year Olds in Canada and Australia
Canada handles minimum working age at the provincial level, so the answer depends on where you live. Some provinces allow light work at 12 or 13 with parental consent, while others set the bar a little higher. Australia follows a similar provincial and territory-based system, with several states allowing informal work like babysitting, car washing, and yard work well before the legal age for formal employment.
The takeaway across all four countries is the same: formal employment at a business usually starts a little later, but informal, self-directed work is wide open at 13. That’s exactly what this list focuses on.
A Quick Snapshot: What’s Off-Limits at 13
It helps to know what’s not on the table just as much as what is. In the US, that means no working the register at a retail store, no restaurant shifts, no factory or warehouse work, and nothing involving power-driven machinery like commercial mowers, box cutters, or kitchen slicing equipment. Hazardous farm tasks, such as operating large tractors or handling dangerous chemicals, are also off the table regardless of parental consent. Once you understand these boundaries, the list of what’s actually allowed starts to look a lot bigger than it first seemed.
How to Get Money at 13: Setting Yourself Up the Right Way
Before jumping into the list, a few basics will make your first job go a lot smoother.
Talk to a Parent or Guardian First
Almost every legal path to earning money at 13 depends on parental involvement, whether that’s giving permission, driving you to a client’s house, or co-signing a payment app. Starting the conversation early also means you’ll have someone in your corner if a client cancels last minute or a payment doesn’t come through.
Figure Out What You’re Actually Good At
The best jobs for 13 year olds that pay well tend to match a skill you already have. Good with younger kids? Babysitting and tutoring are strong fits. Patient with animals? Pet sitting and dog walking are natural choices. Comfortable on a screen? There’s a whole category of digital work waiting for you. Matching the job to your strengths means you’ll get repeat clients faster.
Decide How You’ll Get Paid
Cash is still common for neighborhood jobs, but apps like Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App (used under a parent’s account if you’re under the app’s minimum age) make it easier to track what you’ve earned. Keeping a simple log of jobs and payments also makes it obvious when it’s time to raise your rates.
Start Small and Build a Reputation
Your first client is often a neighbor, a family friend, or someone from your parent’s contact list. Do a great job, ask for a quick review or referral, and word tends to spread fast in a neighborhood or school community.
25 Jobs for 13 Year Olds That Pay Well
Here are 25 realistic, legal ways to start earning at 13, organized by category so you can find what fits your interests, schedule, and comfort level. Each one includes what the work actually involves and how to make it pay better than the average teen side gig.
Neighborhood and Home Services Jobs
1. Babysitting. Babysitting remains the gold standard among jobs for 13 year olds that pay well, and for good reason: parents consistently need reliable, trustworthy sitters for date nights, errands, and after-school coverage. Rates typically scale with the number of kids, the time of day, and whether it’s a weeknight or a weekend, so completing a basic babysitting or first aid certification course can push your hourly rate noticeably higher right out of the gate.
2. Lawn mowing and yard work. Mowing, edging, weeding, and general yard cleanup are some of the most requested ways to make money at 13, especially in spring and fall when overgrown lawns and fallen leaves create steady demand. Landing three or four regular clients on the same street turns a single Saturday into a full afternoon of back-to-back, low-overhead income.
3. Leaf raking and snow shoveling. This seasonal job for 13 year olds tends to pay per visit rather than per hour, which rewards speed and consistency. Elderly neighbors and busy families are often willing to pay a premium for someone dependable who shows up right after a storm without needing a reminder.
4. House cleaning and organizing. Dusting, vacuuming, decluttering, and general tidying for neighbors or family friends is one of the easiest jobs to start immediately, since it usually requires no equipment beyond what’s already sitting in the client’s own closet. Offering a simple flat rate per room makes pricing easy to explain and easy for clients to say yes to.
5. Car washing and detailing. A bucket, a hose, some car soap, and a free weekend morning is genuinely all it takes to start earning as a mobile car washer. Coming directly to a client’s driveway instead of asking them to come to you is a small touch that consistently wins repeat business in this category.
6. Garden and plant care. Watering, weeding, and light pruning work well for homeowners heading out of town or simply too busy to keep up with their own yard. This is one of the more flexible jobs for 13 year olds because visits are often quick and can be scheduled around your own after-school routine.
7. Grocery shopping and errand running. For elderly neighbors or overloaded parents, picking up a short grocery list or dropping off a package can pay surprisingly well relative to the time it takes, especially if you’re already headed that direction. This is also a great way to build trust with a family before pitching them on babysitting or pet care too.
8. Holiday decorating help. Hanging or taking down string lights, wreaths, and yard decorations around the winter holidays is short, seasonal work that tends to pay a flat project rate rather than an hourly one. Booking clients a few weeks in advance of major holidays helps you lock in a full calendar before everyone else starts asking around.
Pet Care Jobs
9. Dog walking. Dog walking is consistently one of the most searched-for jobs for 13 year olds, driven largely by working pet owners who need reliable midday coverage. Offering group walks for two or three dogs from the same neighborhood at once is the single easiest way to multiply your hourly rate without adding extra time to your route.
10. Pet sitting. Feeding, playing with, and checking in on pets while owners travel is flexible, low-pressure work that fits neatly around school and homework. Many pet sitters charge per visit rather than per hour, which means a quick twenty-minute stop can pay a full flat rate.
11. Dog washing. With just a hose, some dog shampoo, and a backyard, you can offer simple wash-day appointments for local pet owners who would rather pay a neighborhood teen than drive to a groomer. Bundling a nail trim reminder or brushing service on top of the wash is an easy way to raise your average ticket.
12. Poop scooping services. It’s not the most glamorous entry on this list of jobs for 13 year olds that pay, but yard waste cleanup for dog owners is genuinely in demand and has very little local competition. A simple weekly or biweekly subscription model, where clients pay a flat monthly rate, creates the kind of predictable recurring income most teen jobs don’t offer.
13. Pet photography. If you’re comfortable with a phone camera and good with animals, offering short pet photo sessions for neighbors or a local community Facebook group can turn into a genuinely fun, paid creative outlet. Posting a few sample shots online is often all it takes to start booking sessions.
Creative and Digital Jobs
14. Tutoring younger kids. If you’re strong in math, reading, or a specific school subject, tutoring elementary-age students is one of the better-paying, more resume-worthy jobs for 13 year olds that pay well. Parents are often willing to pay above the going rate for a tutor who’s patient and can explain things at a kid’s level.
15. Selling handmade crafts. Jewelry, friendship bracelets, painted items, and other handmade goods sell well at local markets, school events, and craft fairs, or online with a parent’s help managing the listing. Building a small, recognizable style or theme helps repeat buyers remember your work and come back for more.
16. Freelance art or design. Digital art, character sketches, and simple logo design can be sold as commissions if you’re comfortable working on a drawing tablet or a phone app. Sharing your work on a portfolio page or social account (managed with parental oversight) is often what turns a hobby into a steady stream of paid requests.
17. Starting a YouTube channel or content page. Full monetization usually kicks in later, but building an audience now, whether the topic is gaming, art, or a niche hobby, lays the groundwork for future income once you’re eligible for ad revenue or brand partnerships. Having a parent manage the account settings and any payment details keeps this option both safe and legal.
18. Reselling items online. Sorting through old toys, clothes, and games and reselling them through a parent’s marketplace account is one of the easiest ways to make money at 13 without leaving your bedroom. Clear photos, honest descriptions, and fast responses to buyer questions are what separate a fast sale from a listing that sits untouched for weeks.
19. Baking and selling treats. Cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods sell reliably at school events, farmers markets, and through neighborhood pre-orders, though it’s worth checking local cottage food laws before selling to the public. Offering a small, rotating seasonal menu keeps customers curious about what’s coming next.
20. Writing or proofreading for family and friends. If writing comes naturally to you, offering to proofread school newsletters, small business flyers, or community documents is a quiet, low-effort way to earn without ever leaving your desk. It’s also a skill that scales well as you get older, making it worth building now.
Family Business and Farm Jobs
21. Helping in a family business. Because federal law treats parent-owned businesses differently from outside employers, this is one of the most flexible and legally straightforward categories of employment for 13 year olds. Answering phones, organizing inventory, updating spreadsheets, or helping with light customer service are all realistic tasks that also happen to look great on a future resume.
22. Farm work with parental consent. Federal law gives 12 and 13 year olds real flexibility on farms, including feeding animals, harvesting produce, and handling general chores, as long as a parent gives written consent or is employed there as well. This is one of the few paths to genuinely regular, higher-hour work available at this age.
23. Working a family market stall. Helping sell produce, flowers, or homemade goods at a farmers market alongside a parent is both fully legal and a hands-on lesson in pricing, customer service, and basic business math. It’s a low-risk way to test whether you enjoy sales before trying it on your own later.
Seasonal and Event Jobs
24. Birthday party helper. Parents hosting kids’ birthday parties frequently need an extra set of hands for games, face painting, or general crowd control, and they’re often willing to pay a solid flat rate for a few hours of reliable help. Building a reputation as the go-to party helper in your neighborhood can keep your weekends booked for months.
25. Yard sale and event setup help. Helping neighbors sort, price, and run a yard sale, or assisting with setup and teardown for a community event, is short, physical work that tends to pay out the same day. Because these jobs are one-off by nature, they’re a great way to fill a single free Saturday without any ongoing commitment.
Between these categories, there’s very likely a job for 13 year olds that pay matches your schedule, personality, and neighborhood. The trick is picking two or three to start with instead of trying everything at once.
How Much Can a 13 Year Old Realistically Make?
Earnings vary a lot depending on where you live and how many hours you put in, but a 13 year old who’s consistent with two or three of the jobs above can realistically build a small, steady income stream. Babysitting and tutoring tend to pay the most per hour, while yard work and pet care jobs often provide the most repeat business because clients come back week after week rather than needing you just once.
A lot also comes down to how you structure the work. A single dog walk pays one rate, but three dogs walked together at the same time roughly triples your hourly earnings for the same amount of effort. The same logic applies to babysitting multiple kids in one household, or scheduling back-to-back lawn jobs on the same street instead of driving across town between clients. Thinking in terms of hourly efficiency, not just per-job pay, is what separates a casual weekend job from a genuinely solid income stream.
Saving what you earn matters just as much as making it. If you’re working toward something specific, like a phone, a bike, or a bigger goal down the road, setting aside a fixed percentage of every job before you spend the rest is a habit worth building early.
The real key to increasing what you earn isn’t finding one perfect job, it’s building a small client list across two or three services so you always have something lined up.
If you’re already thinking beyond age 13, it’s worth looking at what happens once you turn 14 or 15, when far more formal job options open up. For a broader look at what’s coming next, this guide to side hustles for high schoolers breaks down how older teens are turning part-time work into $500 or more a month.
Tips for Landing Your First Job at 13
Ask before you advertise. A quick conversation with neighbors, family friends, or people from your parent’s network usually works better than posting flyers to strangers.
Set clear, simple rates. Decide on your pricing before someone asks, so you’re not caught off guard mid-conversation.
Show up on time, every time. Reliability is the single biggest factor in whether a client calls you back or a neighbor recommends you to someone else.
Keep communication through a parent. For safety and practicality, most families are more comfortable scheduling and paying through a parent, especially for a first-time client.
Reinvest in yourself. A basic babysitting certification, a nicer set of cleaning supplies, or a better camera for pet photography can all help you charge more over time.
Ask for feedback, not just payment. A quick “how did I do” after a job shows clients you care about doing it well, and it often turns into the kind of word-of-mouth referral that fills your schedule without you having to ask.
Don’t be afraid to say no. Not every job that comes your way will be a good fit for your schedule or comfort level, and it’s okay to pass on one so you have room for the ones that suit you better.
If you’re looking for ways to earn before you hit 13, or you want ideas that don’t involve any kind of formal job at all, this breakdown of how to earn money as a kid without a job covers chores, skills, and creative side hustles that work for younger kids too. And once you’re ready to think bigger, this list of business ideas for teenagers shows what’s possible once you start treating your side jobs like an actual small business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get a job at 13?
Yes. While most traditional employers require workers to be at least 14, 13 year olds can legally do casual work like babysitting, yard care, pet sitting, newspaper delivery, and work for a family business or farm, depending on local laws.
What can a 13 year old do to make money?
The most reliable options are babysitting, pet sitting and dog walking, lawn care, tutoring younger kids, and helping out in a family business. Creative options like selling crafts or baked goods, or offering simple digital services, also work well for many 13 year olds.
How much should a 13 year old charge for babysitting?
Rates depend heavily on location, the number of kids, and the time of day, but most young babysitters charge a per-hour rate that increases for multiple children, late nights, or holidays. Checking what other sitters in your area charge is the easiest way to land on a fair number.
Do 13 year olds need a work permit?
In the US, casual jobs like babysitting and yard work generally don’t require a work permit. Newspaper delivery, entertainment work, and family business jobs each have their own specific rules, so it’s worth confirming with a parent or your state labor department if you’re doing something outside typical neighborhood jobs.
Is it legal to pay a 13 year old in cash?
Yes, cash payment is common and legal for casual jobs like babysitting, yard work, and pet care. Many families also use payment apps under a parent’s account, which makes it easier to keep track of earnings over time.
Final Thoughts: Your First Job Is Closer Than You Think
Turning 13 doesn’t come with an instant job offer, but it does open the door to more legitimate ways to earn than most people realize. Whether you start with babysitting, pick up a few dog walking clients, or turn a hobby like baking or art into a small side business, the goal is the same: get started, do good work, and let word of mouth do the rest.
Pick two jobs from this list that match what you’re already good at, tell a parent or guardian your plan, and reach out to your first potential client this week. That’s genuinely how most successful teen side hustles begin.
